How to fix DNS leak?

What is a DNS leak?

A DNS leak is a problem with the network configuration that results in loss of privacy by sending DNS queries over insecure links instead of using the VPN connection.

DNS or Domain Name Servers are like telephone books that translate domain names (e.g. google.com) into IP addresses and as such are vital for Internet communication.

When you connect to a VPN tunnel, it is important that all your traffic is passed through the tunnel including DNS requests. Otherwise, if the DNS ‘leaks’ out of the secure tunnel, your online activity could be exposed.

Why does DNS leak occur?

The reason why DNS leaks occur are normally due to misconfiguration of network settings on client devices. The most common DNS leaks occur on Windows Operating Systems due to the OS preferring to use DNS servers assigned by the LAN gateway rather than the DNS server assigned by VPN tunnel. This is especially common among Windows 10 PCs.

Are you affected by DNS leak?

Check the IPs detected by the test. Do any of them look like they are from your ISP rather than the VPN tunnel? If yes, then you probably have the DNS leak! If no, then your VPN connection is fully secure.

How to fix DNS leak?

Once you have identified a DNS leak, how do you fix it? It is of course device (OS) dependent, but below you can find how to fix DNS leak for Windows Operating System (10, 8, 7 etc..).

Fixing DNS leak on Windows 10/8/7

To fix the DNS leak you will have to manually configure your network adapters in an attempt to plug the leak. On your Windows machine do the following:

1 - Click desktop tile from the 'Start' screen to go to the desktop.

2 - Once on the desktop screen, hover mouse to the bottom right corner of the window.

3 - From the displayed options on the right, click 'Settings'.

4 - Click 'Control Panel' from the Settings pane.

5 - On Control Panel window, click 'Network and Internet'.

6 - From the right pane of Network and Internet window, click 'Network and Sharing Center' category.

7 - From the left pane of Network and Sharing Center window, click 'Change Adapter Settings'.

8 - Select your active network connection that's not listed as being for the TAP adapter (should be named as 'Local Area Connection' followed by some numbers and showing as 'Connected').

Save any changes made, restart the PC and run the DNS leak test again. With a bit of luck, your DNS leak test should now have no trace of your ISP in which case, your connection is fully anonymous and secure.